Making friends in this city is so easy it is practically
formulaic. We start with a night in Takism Square, supplemented by drinks
(Crucial step; not optional!). Follow the sound of the loudest music, or
whatever song sounds catchiest, and proceed to enter. Proceed to buy more
drinks because you are in Europe and it is legal and fun. Then, when we find a
spot to situate ourselves in, we observe our surroundings. There is always one
group near you that seems to having the time of their life. It is easy to spot
them because they will be dancing the most vigorously, like they really just do
not give any cares in the world. It’s quite contagious, actually. They draw you
in with their boisterous cheering and intensive picture taking. Before we know
it, Julie and I start dancing just as wildly as them, almost as some sort of initiation,
and each time it works because Turkish people are so friendly. All the sudden,
their friends are our friends. And their dance moves start becoming our dance
moves. Just like that, Julie and are linking arms in a gigantic circle of new
Turkish friends, screaming to Turkish songs that we do not understand but
somehow still love. It makes me laugh to wonder how all these people will look
the next morning when they peruse their camera photos and see these two
foreigners in all their pictures. At least we can say we left our American mark
in Istanbul!
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